


We’re With You - Tony II

by mrs_t2019



Series: We’re With You [5]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Character Death, Creepy, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Poor Peter Parker, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 20:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15916050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_t2019/pseuds/mrs_t2019
Summary: “M-M-May,” he sobbed, trying to look over Tony’s shoulder. Steve blocked his view.Peter tried to scramble past them, ripping himself out of Tony’s hold, but Steve caught him and held him tightly to his chest.“It’s okay, Pete. I fixed everything. She’s...She’s safe, too,” he told the boy.“Let’s get outta here,” Tony said.





	We’re With You - Tony II

Tony held Peter close as he carried him to his room. The poor kid was traumatized after today’s events. He’d been on patrol when he’d gotten word that someone was digging up graves for money, jewels, etc. It had gone downhill from there.

**********

3 hours earlier: 9:30 PM

Peter swung as fast as he could to the location Karen had provided, a million questions in his mind.

_Why graves? Why not find some friends and rob a bank? What if you can’t open the casket? What if the shovel breaks?_

He reached the cemetery and balanced himself on top of a crypt. Thanks to his enhanced vision, he was able to see the head of a man who had dug into one of the graves. Peter stood a bit from his crouched position and saw that he was opening the casket. Now was his chance. He silently swung to the back of the tombstone, giving himself some cover, and leaned over, bracing his elbows on it.

“Hey, man, whatcha doing? That doesn’t look like it belongs to you,” he said with some pep in his voice. The man jumped, shoving the lid to the side and stepping in the casket to get better footing as he looked up.

“Get outta here,” he growled, picking up his shovel and holding it like a bat, ready to swing. Peter shot a web out and grabbed it from him, tossing it across the cemetery.

“Really?” he said, shooting another to the man’s hands and walking around to the side of the open grave. He pulled to get him up onto the ground, but was thrown off balance when someone came up behind him and pushed him in, causing his web to disengage.

“Let’s go!” a new voice called out, and the man in the grave kicked him in the side before jumping out and running off. Peter groaned, having landed on something sharp.

“Peter, are you all right?” Karen asked. “You seem to have three bruised ribs.”

“Yeah, Karen, I’m fine. How did I miss that other guy?” He looked around and saw that he had landed right on top of the body that had been buried. With a cry, he scrambled backwards, trying to get out of the casket. Something caught his eye.

That necklace.

“Peter, your heart rate is increasingly abnormal. I’ve alerted Mr. Stark.”

That dress.

“Peter, you need to get out.”

Peter began shaking, slowly turning his eyes up to the tombstone.

**May Parker**

He looked back down at the skeleton underneath him, seeing the healed bone of a broken ankle. His eyes widened beneath his mask, his breath coming in heavy gasps. He pushed himself against the back of the grave as hard as possible, feeling the dirt giving behind him. He couldn’t move any more. His legs collapsed and he pulled off his mask, trying desperately to pull in air. His chest felt like it was caving in. He didn’t know how long he sat there, curled in a ball, staring at his dead aunt’s skeleton.

“Oh, my God!” someone cried. He knew that voice. Dirt from above fell on his face, but he didn’t look up. He could only stare. “Tony, I found him!”

“Get him out!”

“Peter, give me your hand,” the voice said urgently. He wanted to, but he couldn’t move. “Peter, please, look at me.”

When he didn’t, the person dropped down next to him, avoiding his aunt’s body. Without saying anything, he was hoisted up and passed to someone else. He was set on the ground and the person moved in front of him, cupping his cheeks.

“Peter, look here.”

Mr. Stark.

“Pete, I need you to calm down. Look at me.”

Tony’s voice was like a balm washing over him. Peter looked at him with tear-filled eyes, feeling like he was falling apart at the seams. He began holding his breath, trying to get control.

“No, Peter, you gotta breathe,” the other voice said from the side. Steve. Peter tried, but he couldn’t let go of the breath he’d taken in. He looked at them with panic. Tony moved in close to his face, looking him dead in the eye.

“Breathe, or you’re gonna pass out,” he instructed. Nothing. Peter’s lips began turning blue.

“Hold him up, Tony. I’m sorry about this, pal,” Steve said with regret. Tony put an arm around his shoulders as he fell backwards and there was suddenly water being poured onto his face. Peter let out the breath he’d been holding and began gasping. He was pulled to Tony’s chest.

“You’re okay now, bud. You’re okay,” Tony told him. Peter’s entire body shook as he tried to speak.

“M-M-May,” he sobbed, trying to look over Tony’s shoulder. Steve blocked his view. Peter tried to scramble past them, ripping himself out of Tony’s hold, but Steve caught him and held him tightly to his chest. 

“It’s okay, Pete. I fixed everything. She’s...She’s safe, too,” he told the boy.

“Let’s get outta here,” Tony said.

Peter felt himself being lifted and he held on tightly to Steve’s shirt, bawling into his shoulder. The next thing he knew, the three of them were in the back seat of Tony’s car, Happy driving them back to the Compound. Tony was turned in his seat to hold him as close as possible, his right arm around his shoulders, his left hand holding the back of his head to his neck, and his cheek pressed against his forehead. Peter clutched his shirt, whimpering in between his sobs.

“Shh, you’re all right. It’s okay. I’ve got you. We’re right here,” Tony soothed.

“May,” Peter whined, coughing at the strain on his throat.

“We know, babe. We know,” Tony crooned, rubbing his back and looking at Steve with a sigh. They couldn’t even imagine how Peter was feeling.

“Tony.”

Steve had reached under his seat to pull a water bottle out of the built-in cooler, uncapping it and handing it to the mechanic. Tony prodded Peter and pressed the bottle to his lips, hoping that it would help him calm down. It momentarily halted his shuddering breaths, but as soon as Tony took it away, Peter buried his face in his chest and cried weakly. Tony handed the bottle back to Steve and just held the teenager, rubbing his back, stroking his hair, anything he could think of. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it out for Steve to pour the water on.

“Lemme get your face, bud,” he said, pulling away and tipping Peter’s head up by his chin. Peter didn’t fight him, the cool cloth on his face calming him slightly. Tony wiped away the dirt and tears, being as gentle as he could. “There. That’s better. Why don’t you lay your head down? We’ll be home soon.”

Tony put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and guided him to lay his head on his lap, Steve bringing the boy’s feet onto his.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Tony whispered, stroking Peter’s hair as he watched the city lights gradually fading on the way to the Compound.

**********

Tony laid the dazed and shocked teenager on his bed while Steve called the owner of the cemetery to enhance their security. Peter hadn’t spoken since the car ride, tears silently falling. His body was still trembling and he was hiccuping from the force of his earlier sobs. Tony pressed the logo on his suit and pulled it off, slipping some sleep pants and a t-shirt onto his cold body. He worked the covers out from underneath him and tucked him in, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Peter,” Tony told him, brushing a hand through his hair. Peter didn’t respond, just turned onto his side to stare at a picture of himself and May that sat on his nightstand. The soft light from his lamp illuminated it beautifully.

“Peter?” a soft voice called from the doorway. There stood Natasha in a tank top and cotton shorts, concern practically bleeding from her. Peter quickly looked at the sound of a feminine voice, wishing it was May. Natasha quickly walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down, opening her arms as Peter sat up. She held him close, rocking him and stroking his hair as he leaned into her. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

“I miss her,” Peter wept.

“I know you do, sweetheart,” she replied, kissing his temple. She looked at Tony, who mouthed that he would be back, and she nodded. Peter felt the bed shift, though, and pulled his face from Natasha’s neck to look fearfully at Tony. He knelt across the bed and put a hand on Peter’s cheek, stroking his temple.

“I’ll be right back. I just wanna change real quick, okay?” he said. Peter nodded and shifted to lay across Natasha’s lap, curling his knees around her side and letting her practically cradle him in her arms. She started humming as she rocked him. Peter had never felt more like a child than in this moment, but he didn’t care. Natasha’s soft hands, warm skin, and gentle voice reminded him of May, and for a moment he pretended it was her holding him, singing him to sleep as a young boy. He closed his eyes and breathed in her floral perfume, feeling her wiping away his tears.

“We’re gonna take care of you, Peter. I promise,” he heard Natasha whisper as he fell asleep.

**********

Tony was woken by movement on the bed. Natasha had gone to bed after Peter fell asleep, leaving him to watch over the boy. He looked down to see that Peter was crying in his sleep, his head laying on Tony’s outstretched arm. Shaking off his exhaustion, he looked at the clock. They’d only been asleep for two hours. He turned onto his side and gently shook Peter’s shoulder.

“Peter, wake up,” he called softly. Peter responded by pushing against his chest, trying to fight off whatever demons plagued his sleep. He began crying out, begging for his aunt to come back. Tony’s heart shattered. He sat up and pulled Peter into his arms like Natasha had, cradling his torso in his left arm and holding his wrists to the boy’s chest with his right hand. He shook him again. “Peter, you gotta wake up. Pete, come on. Wake up.”

“No!” Peter cried, his eyes flying open as he tried pulling away from Tony. The man held fast, though, and cupped his cheek.

“Shh, you’re okay. It was just a nightmare. You’re all right,” he told him, pushing his hair out of his eyes. Peter’s heaving breaths slowed as he remembered where he was, but then the tears started flowing.

“M-Mr. Stark?” Peter said, remembering what had happened that night.

“Yeah, I’m right here, pal. Everything’s okay. Settle down,” Tony soothed. He leaned over to pick up Peter’s water bottle and flicked the cap open with his thumb, lifting Peter a bit. “Drink some water.”

Peter obeyed and took the bottle with a shaking hand, taking a few sips from the bottle before handing it back to Tony to set down. He settled into the man’s arms with a shaky sigh and huddled close to his chest.

“Why?” Peter asked softly. “Why her?”

“I don’t know, kiddo, and I’m not gonna pretend that I do,” Tony replied with a sigh, leaning back on the pillows and holding Peter securely. 

“I want May,” the boy whined as he wept. Tony pulled him onto his lap so he could pat his bottom gently, remembering seeing May doing that in a BARF session. “Mr. Stark, please.”

“I would bring her back in a heartbeat for you if I could, babe,” he said, feeling Peter collapse against him in tears of defeat. He laid his chin on top of his head and closed his eyes. “Shh, I’m right here. I’ve got you. It’s gonna be okay.”

Tony knew it was far from okay, but he could have his illusions.


End file.
